D&D Tomb of Annihilation

Theplantsinthisenclosedgardenarelikenothing

you’veeverseen.Theirshapesarefantastic,andtheir

colorsarelikegemssparklinginthesun.Enclosedby 5 -

foot-highwalls,thisstrangelybeautifulgardenimpartsa

senseofserenity.

Amessageisdeeplyscratchedintothewall.
Fourofthesegardensaresituatedaroundthepalace(area
4 ).Anyhumanoidthatspends 1 minuteorlongerinanyoneof
themmustmakeaDC 10 Constitutionsavingthrow.Ona
failedsave,thecreaturebecomespoisoned.Whilepoisonedin
thisway,thecreatureisalsocharmedbyeveryothercreature
inNangalore.Acreaturecanrepeatthesavingthrowatthe
endofeachhour,endingtheeffectonitselfonasuccess.Ifany
savingthrowaftertheinitialonefailsby 5 ormore,the
creaturefallsunconsciousandremainssountilittakes
damageoruntilitsucceedsonasavingthrowagainstthis
effect.
AcharacterwhohasproficiencyinbothMedicineand
Naturerecognizestheseplantsassoporificsafter 2 roundsof
examination.Acharacterwithproficiencyineitherskill,but
notboth,recognizestheplantswithasuccessfulDC 15 check
inthetrainedskill.
Asinglecharacterwhospends 30 minutesinagardencan
stripitofitshallucinogenicplants,gathering 3 poundsof
leavesintheprocess.Jessamine(seechapter 1 )iswillingto
pay 20 gpforeachpoundofleaves.
Zalkoréandtheeblisdon’tmisstheopportunitytostrike
whilecharactersaredrugged,ortoofferthempoisonedfruit
andwineifthey’vedonenothingoffensive(seearea 8 ).
5 A.SouthwestGarden.Anopenarchwayinthesouthwall
ofthegardenoverlooksafloodedtunnelwithacollapsedroof
(seearea 1 ).WrittenonthesouthwallinOldOmuanarethe
words“Withoutdreams,eternityisunbearable.”
5 B.SoutheastGarden.Threetri-flowerfronds(see
appendixD)growinthisgarden.Anycharacterwhomoves
throughthegardencan’thelpbutbrushupagainstoneof
thesebeautifulbutdeadlyplants.Writtenonthesouthwallin
OldOmuanarethewords“GreatUbtao,freeme!”
5 C.NorthwestGarden.Thestepsleadingtotheupper
walkwayareovergrownbytreeroots.Scrawledonthenorth
wallinOldOmuanarethewords“Fortheliesofafew,allmust
pay.”
5 D.NortheastGarden.Thisgardenhasbeentakenover
byamantrap(seeappendixD),whichlieshiddenunderother
plants.Itattacksanycreaturethat’snotZalkoréoraneblis.
ScrawledontheeastwallinOldOmuanarethewords“To
dream,todance.”

6 .Pagoda

Thiscrumblingpagodamusthavebeenlovelyonce,

withitswide,gracefularchesinvitingthebreezetoblow

through,andoverlookingthesilentpoolbelow.But

time,decay,andsomebestialpresencehavegivenita

sinisterair.Itsmellsfoul,anddarkstainscoverthefloor

andseepdownthewhitesteps.

Thispagodahousessixeblis(seeappendixD)thatserve
asZalkoré’ssentriesandservants.Theinteriorisfilthy,with
gnawedbonesstrewneverywhereandthefloorthickwith
droppings.Unlessthecharacterscreepthroughthegarden
withuncommonstealth,theeblisseeorhearthemcoming,in
whichcasethisnestwillbeempty.Threeeblismoveto
Zalkoré’slair(area 8 ),whiletheotherstakeuppositionsin

trees,onwalls,oronrooftops.Theirjobisnottoattack

intrudersonsight,buttoalertZalkoréandbereadytobackup

whatevershedoes.

Treasure.Characterswhosearchthroughtherefusefind

somebaublestuckedawaybytheeblis,includingapouch

containingsevenassortedgemstones( 10 gpeach),apainted

goldbraceletshapedlikeacouatl( 50 gp),andawoodenscroll

tubeengravedwithskeletons,whichcontainsascrollof

protection(undead).

7 .FloodedGarden

Thewaterinthispoolisunusuallyclear.Adozenor

morelargefish,turtles,andlizardsswimlazilythrough

it,andwaterbirdspaddleonthesurface.Theirripples

obscuresomethingonthebottomofthepool,soyou

can’tquitemakeitout,buthebottomappears

blanketedinoddlyshapedstones.

AnimmensestonebustofZalkoréonceroseabovethe

poolatopthedais.Itwasthemostbeautifulsculptureinthe

garden.AfterZalkorélearnedthetruthaboutThiru-taya,she

destroyedthelikenessofherselfinanactofself-revulsion.

Thestonesinthepoolarea 2 - foot-deeplayeroffish,

turtles,lizards,andwaterbirdspetrifiedbyZalkoréasthey

swaminthewater.They’vebeenpilingupinthebottomofthe

poolforcenturies.Thepetrifiedanimalscouldbesoldto

collectorsinPortNyanzarufor 1 gpapiece.Eachoneweighs 1

pound.Beneaththepetrifiedanimalsarethepetrifiedformsof

KwaniandShabarra,twoadventurers(CNfemaleChultan

scouts)whoranafoulofZalkorémanydecadesago.

8 .Zalkoré’sLair

Thisbell-shapeddomeappearsintact:ithasnoobvious

holesintheroof,andthebronzedoubledoorhangssquarely

initsframe.Thedoorsareclosedbutnotlocked.Unless

charactershavebeenuncommonlystealthy(orZalkoréis

alreadydead),thequeenisexpectingthem.

Thesingle,largechamberinsidethedomeis

obviouslyaroyalapartment—orwas,centuriesago.

Nowthebright,floralmuralsaredimandgray,bitsof

coloredglassareheapedbeneathacrackedmosaic,

enameledwoodentablesaresplitandtilting,and

everybitofclothisfrayedandstreaked.

Atthecenteroftheroom,alongdivanstandsatopa

circulardais.Recliningonthedivanisawoman

dressedinaflowingrobemadefromparrotfeathers

instunningcolors.Despitetheheat,herarms,head,

andfacearecoveredinfeatheryveils.Nexttoher,a

blackorchidgrowsoutofalargeclaypotatthehead

ofthedivan.Sheaddressesyouinavoicetingedwith

oddinflections.“StrangershavecometoNangalore,

mylove.Whatboondooursubjectsbeseech?”

Bitsofshatteredstonerestatopasquaredaisthat

risesfrommiddleofthepool—evidenceofa

sculpturethatoncestoodatopit.Partofthe

sculptureliesinthepool,westofthedais:alarge

stonefacestaringupatthesky.

Themedusaisn’tcompletelyinsane,butthankstoherplant

extract,shecontinuallyhallucinatesthatThiru-tayais

standingatherside.MostofZalkoré’scommentsincludehim

somehow;trytomakethesereferencesaspuzzlingaspossible

forthecharacters.Shealsobelievesthatshe’sstillqueenof

Omuwhilesimultaneouslyrememberingand